


Killing the Game

by Schadenfreudah



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, High School, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:47:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23236441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schadenfreudah/pseuds/Schadenfreudah
Summary: After moving in with his new stepbrother and his dad, all Mutou Bakura wants to do is flee their stifling house and go back to his mom's apartment just outside the city. An opportunity to get out presents itself in the form of Bakura Ryou, one of his stepbrother's friends and perhaps just the ticket he needs to return to normalcy.A flawless plan, of course. Until maybe it isn't.
Relationships: Bakura Ryou/Yami Bakura
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	Killing the Game

The bright, cloudless sky illuminated the roof with mid-afternoon sun. Birds chirped overhead, and their pleasant song wafted up from the trees that surrounded the school building. Splashes of color decorated the bushes that dotted the courtyard below, the budding flowers just beginning to unfurl.

It would have been a perfectly lovely day, had Mutou Yuugi not just stormed onto the roof looking like he was about to commit a felony.

"That guy is such a stupid jerk," huffed Yuugi, slamming his bag down on the ground with a loud thud before he took his seat next to his boyfriend. "I knocked on his door one time to ask whether he wanted anything from the convenience store—one time! One freaking time!—and he gave me a look like I was a piece of gum on the back of his shoe and told me to go eff myself. Who does that?"

Ryou let out a halfhearted noise of commiseration. He wasn't surprised—this was far from the first time this had happened, after all—but he still winced when Yuugi practically threw his yakisoba from his abused backpack and got to work on devouring his lunch. He had hoped that in time things would improve, but this trip had been no different; Ryou could surmise easily that Yuugi's trip home to get money for lunch from Sugoroku-san hadn’t gone as planned.

Atemu, from beside Yuugi, rubbed consoling circles into his boyfriend's shoulder. "I'm sure he's just adjusting to his new environment," he said, though he didn't look convinced. "No one could be that mean to someone so kind unless there were other things on their mind, partner. Don't preoccupy yourself overly with Touzoku's behavior—his cruelty isn’t worth your time."

"Technically his name is Mutou, now," Yuugi mumbled, and let out a sigh. "But you're right, Atemu. It's just that Grandpa keeps telling me to be nice to him, and I've tried so hard, but he seriously isn't taking it well. I hope the honeymoon ends soon so his mom can just tell him he's being a jerk and get it over with."

"On the bright side, at least you've got your dad out of the house for a while," said Anzu, eyes bright with amusement. At her seat beside Jounouchi she balanced a carefully constructed bento in her lap, which she was eating much more gracefully than Yuugi. "I'm sure you and Atemu haven't been enjoying that even a little bit."

With flushed, ruddy cheeks, Yuugi only shrugged, and shifted his gaze to the meal in front of him so he could concentrate on eating. Atemu remained dutifully silent, but he nonetheless looked as if he wanted to laugh in spite of his boyfriend's embarrassment.

Next to Anzu, Jounouchi took a swig of his energy drink, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand when he'd had his fill. "I have a little idea," he said, taking a bite out of his sandwich before continuing. "We should all just go over to your place. Since your dad’s wedding, none of us have been over once. Once!" He paused again, gulping down another mouthful, and then mumbled through the bread stuffed in his mouth, "I say, we've had enough. Bakura's evil voodoo shit ends right here. Tell you what, we can play Castle Conquerors, and—"

Honda rolled his eyes. "Stop trying to mooch off Yuugi, dickwad," he interrupted, elbowing Jounouchi's ribcage. Ryou couldn’t help his sympathetic wince—the gesture had been harsh. "Just buy the damn game yourself."

Jounouchi grumbled, rubbing at his chest, but didn't deny what Honda had said.

"Well, mooch or not, he does have a point," Otogi said after a beat, looking thoughtful. "Bakura's a bastard, but—" he paused, then, and looked over to Ryou. "The other Bakura, I mean. God, that's confusing, isn't it?"

Ryou only shook his head, self conscious now that his friends’ eyes were all fixed on him. It was rather unfortunate that Yuugi's new stepbrother bore his last name for a first name, but in time Ryou had gotten used to it. It tended to be pretty easy to determine which of Bakura they were talking about. "It's okay, Otogi-kun," he said mildly, and took a sip of his water. “I understand.”

Otogi hummed under his breath, and went on, "Well, anyways. Bakura's a bastard, but even he won't want to stay in the house if all of us come over. We can even invite Shizuka and make it a get-together. What do you say, Yuugi? Up for it?"

Jounouchi cast him a suspicious look at the mention of Shizuka, but added no input of his own to the conversation, eyes drifting nervously between Otogi and Yuugi.

Yuugi bit his lip, contemplating. "Well, Grandpa won't mind if it's only you guys. And it’s a Friday, so it's not like I have any exams tomorrow to study for or anything." Taking another bite of his bread, he said decisively, "Let's do it. Tonight, my place, five PM."

"Alright!" crowed Jounouchi, slapping Yuugi's knee. "You're the best, man! This is gonna be awesome. We gotta finish the third floor dungeon, it's been driving me crazy thinking about it."

As Jounouchi ranted about their plans for the evening, Ryou finished his water, screwing the top back on his bottle when he was done. He wasn't a huge participant in these game nights himself; he preferred to let his friends play together. At first everyone had found it strange that he liked watching over playing, but in time they'd grown used to it, and let Ryou sit on the couch and observe.

Before long the bell rang, cutting off whatever Jounouchi and Honda were arguing about and marking the end of the lunch period. Ryou placed the bottle and still folded bento back into his bag and stood, stretching out his arms over his head. He had a math test next period, and he hadn't managed to touch his lunch. As he walked down the steps that led to the second-year hallway, he wondered vaguely whether he would at last meet the other Bakura at Yuugi's house tonight. But then he reached the exam room and all thoughts of Mutou Bakura were out of mind.

* * *

When the final dismissal sounded, Ryou rose and made his way to the hall, grateful that his notebooks and pencil case already tucked away in his bag. The test had gone neither particularly well nor particularly badly, but it had been exhausting, and he was in need of a break after enduring this week's classes and the long hours of his part-time job. As he stepped through the door, his gaze drifted to the shoe lockers. Yuugi was waiting for him there, having already changed; when they made eye contact, he waved.

Anxious not to inconvenience Yuugi, Ryou hurried down the expanse of the corridor to meet up with him. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said once they were side by side, and knelt down to retrieve his shoes from the appropriate locker. "How'd your exam go?"

Yuugi managed a nervous laugh, and rubbed at the back of his neck. "I finished," he said. "And I'm sure Atemu did great.”

Ryou nodded, unsure of what else to say, and then—once he had finished slipping his sneakers back on—they started towards the school gate. The walk was conducted in comfortable silence; they exchanged a few words when needed, but otherwise they were both content to soak in the weather.

The rest of the group was already waiting by their usual tree by the time they arrived, talking amongst themselves loudly as they often did. When Ryou and Yuugi joined the circle, Atemu quickly sidled up to his boyfriend, slinging a casual arm around his shoulder and huddling him into his side. When Yuugi smiled, Atemu glanced around to check that no one was watching and then laid a kiss on the crown of his head.

Ryou felt a slight blush come on and he turned away, focusing on the stream of students leaving the building rather than the couple in front of him. Public displays of affection always made him uncomfortable, and though he tried not to let it show, he knew the heat in his face would betray his discomfort.

"Alright," said Jounouchi with the utmost seriousness after a long moment had gone by, eyes narrowed and voice low. "Here's the game plan. Me and Honda are gonna head to the convenience store to pick up some snacks. Yuugi and Atemu are gonna loiter around at home and piss off Bakura as a little pregame. Anzu and—ugh." He massaged his temples. “Anzu and Otogi are going to head over to get Shizuka. And Bakura—you can help get everything set up at Yuugi's, since you live the closest, right?"

"Yes, that's right," replied Ryou, pleasantly surprised that Jounouchi remembered where he lived. He didn't think there was that much set-up required for playing video games on a console that had been running for years, but he wasn't about to contradict his friend while he was so worked up.

"Okay then," Jounouchi continued, pointedly ignoring Otogi. "Meet back at base at 0500. Do you copy?"

"I’m guessing that’s supposed to be 1700, unless you're planning on waking up really early," Anzu corrected.

Otogi rolled his eyes. "He thinks we're in the secret service or something," he muttered under his breath, though it was loud enough to hear even from a few feet away. "Go along with it, Anzu, it's less annoying that way. We should just head out before Yuugi changes his mind and we're all out of a plan."

The group dispersed, and Ryou found himself walking beside Yuugi and Atemu. As they made their way towards the Mutou house, he stayed quiet, and let them talk between themselves. After a few minutes they passed Ryou's two-story condo. It was a squat, unassuming building at the end of the block, just one among a row of identical houses that stretched across their neighborhood.

"I should drop my things off and change," Ryou said, clutching onto his bag. His friends stopped, a few paces in front of him. "You don't need to wait, it'll only take a moment."

“We can wait, Bakura-kun,” said Yuugi, smiling.

Ryou jerked his chin in a vague nod as he mounted the front steps and unlocked the door, pushing it shut beside him when he stepped inside. Without sparing a glance for the empty kitchen, he mounted the steps and headed towards his room. Behind the privacy of his curtains, he divested himself of his uniform in favor of jeans and a simple shirt. As he worked, he tried to ignore the uncomfortable sensation that tugged at him, but it festered in a tight knot in the pit of his stomach.

Ryou knew they pitied him—he often found himself being dragged into the city by his few friends and getting invited to after school hangouts that truthfully he had no business being invited to because of it. That was the only reason why Atemu and Yuugi were lingering outside; they were discomfited by how lonely the empty house seemed. Ryou appreciated the effort, but it was awkward both for himself and the others involved when they tried to interfere. It was much easier on all of them when they chose to ignore it.

When he finished, he scooped his wallet and keys into his bag, rushed down the stairs, and locked the door behind him to rejoin Yuugi and his boyfriend. True to Yuugi’s word, they had waited; they stood on the stoop together, exchanging words in hushed tones.

"Ah, you didn't have to stay," Ryou said in lieu of announcing his presence. The smile he directed towards them when they turned back towards him was bright and artificial. "But I'm done now."

Atemu's eyes flicked to the empty house behind them, and his brows furrowed lightly in concern. "We wouldn't have just left you, Bakura," he began.

Unaware of the tension that had filled the air, Yuugi smiled back at Ryou. "We don't want to keep everyone waiting, right?" he teased. "You know how Jounouchi is when he works himself up.”

Swallowing, Ryou avoided Atemu's gaze, and followed behind Yuugi as he started off again.

After a thankfully brief journey devoid of any small talk, they arrived at the stairs outside the Mutou residence. The house was of an average size, painted a soft, pastel yellow. It looked comfortable and warm—surrounded by neat flowers and an even fence, it was obvious how well-maintained it was.

"Home sweet home," Yuugi muttered, fishing his keys out of his pocket and unlocking the door. "Hopefully Bakura’s down in his cave.” When the door swung open, he said over his shoulder, “Grandpa's at work, so just make yourselves at home."

Following Yuugi inside, Ryou shed his shoes and peered down the hallway, curious to see how Bakura's arrival had changed the familiar terrain. So far, he hadn't noticed anything particularly different—family pictures still hung neatly from the wall, though there was a new one tacked onto the end that featured a tall, light-haired woman. Ryou understood right away that she had to be Bakura's mother. Standing to Yuugi’s right across from her new husband, a smile settled on her face, she appeared completely normal at first glance.

"He said he wouldn't sit for the picture," Yuugi remarked. His eyes had followed the path of Ryou's gaze. "Bakura, I mean. Made Touzoku-san cry and everything."

"I see," Ryou mumbled, and frowned. The woman in the picture didn't look sad. Not for the first time, Ryou’s heart squeezed with a strange kind of pity for Bakura.

Atemu had already made his way to the living room, leaving the two of them behind. "Yuugi," he called. "Come, I'm setting the game up—I don’t know how to use this console."

Yuugi laughed, eyes alight with fond amusement. “Coming!” he shot back. Then, he paused, gaze darting briefly to Ryou. "Is there—do you want to play, too?" he asked, tentative. "It's a two-person game, but if we organized it tournament style, then it could be really fun."

"I'm alright," said Ryou, and offered up a polite smile. "Go on without me. I need to use the restroom, anyways."

"If you're sure," Yuugi replied, though he didn’t seem too surprised. "We're renovating the upstairs bathroom, but the one in the basement is open for business. Just take a left at the bottom of the stairs and you'll find it. Just, ah—well, whatever, he probably won't come out anyways. Come up and join us whenever, alright?"

Dipping his head in an awkward half-nod, Ryou turned to the right, and padded over to where he knew the entrance to the basement was. Going one step at a time, he carefully descended the steps, socked feet slipping slightly on the smooth wood. He didn't really have to use the bathroom, but there was a nice couch downstairs he could use to wait on while Yuugi and Atemu played their game and, inevitably, cuddled up together until the rest of their group arrived.

At the base of the steps, Ryou turned to fumble for the light switch. He was poised to brighten up the space when he heard a rough voice demand in his direction, "What the fuck are you doing down here?"

Letting out an undignified squeak, Ryou—in his surprise—tripped over his own foot. Out of control of his limbs, he stumbled backwards and landed hard on his back. In his downwards spiral he had managed to slam into the switch with his hand, flooding the room with light. He laid there in a state of pain-induced shock for a moment before he huffed out a soft, wounded groan and forced his eyes open.

When he looked up, he was met with a pair of skeptical eyes, a scowling mouth, and a shock of unruly white hair. Ryou stared. The man above him, undeterred, stared back.

After a long silence stretched out between them, sense began to return to Ryou, and—immediately—embarrassment followed. He scrambled to his feet, backing up a few feet to the wall. "I'm so sorry,” Ryou started, the words heavy in his mouth. His cheeks, surely bright red by now, burned with heat. “I didn't—well, I did mean to come down here, but I didn't think I'd be disturbing anyone.”

The man said nothing, but crossed his muscled arms over his chest. It was obvious that he was a few years older than Ryou from his easy, confident gait. Even more obvious was that he wasn’t a student. His dark eyes were heavily lined in black, studs lined the shell of his ear, and his hair, wild and unbrushed, hung halfway down his back. Ryou had spent years being berated by teachers over his own, much less tangled hair—he knew that there was no way he would be permitted to look like that if he attended a high school anywhere near here.

“I’m really sorry,” Ryou repeated when, after another minute had elapsed, the stranger still hadn’t said anything. “It was a complete accident, I didn’t intend to—”

"No need to throw a fit," the stranger said at last. His bored, flat eyes were cold when they met Ryou's own. “You didn't even touch me."

Ryou blinked. The man sounded nice; he had a rough, high sort of voice. "But I interrupted you, and barged into your space," he protested, and brushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear. It was a nervous habit; he flushed harder when the stranger’s eyes tracked the movement. "And I—"

"You're going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep blabbering like that," interrupted the older man. He took a step back and sank back down onto the couch. "Really, you’re only giving me more reasons to dislike you."

Belatedly, Ryou was struck with a realization. "Oh," he breathed out, and raised a hand to his mouth. "You must be—you're Bakura-kun, right? Yuugi-kun's stepbrother?"

"Yep," Bakura replied. The word was harsh and short, its single syllable pronounced with clear derision. "And you're one of the brat’s school friends.” It wasn’t a question, but Ryou nodded in affirmation regardless. “Great. Glad to make your acquaintance.”

Ryou let out a sudden, breathless laugh. "Sorry, I—I've been wondering when we would meet since I first heard about you," he explained. "My name is Bakura, too—Bakura Ryou, that is. It's my last name, but it's still such a funny coincidence, isn’t it?”

"Fascinating," Bakura said, flatly. When Ryou didn't move, he let out an annoyed sigh and gestured to the door on the right. "This is my room—Yuugi-sama knows very well he and his little friends aren't supposed to be down here."

“Oh, I see," Ryou said, and tucked another strand of hair behind his ear as he cast a furtive glance upstairs. He hadn’t heard the door open yet; none of their other friends had arrived. The thought of walking in on Yuugi and Atemu in a compromising situation filled him with dread.

Reluctantly, he looked back to Bakura. The older boy was crass and rude, but surely he understood how terrible it would be to intrude such a private moment. “Um—!” he started, before Bakura could say anything more. “I know I’m not supposed to be down here, but could I stay in the basement? It would just be on the couch. I promise I won’t touch any of your things or go near your room, or anything.”

Bakura raised a brow. The two shiny grey studs at its tail, which Ryou hadn’t noticed at first glance, rose with it. "And why should I say yes?" he asked, leaning forward on his elbows. When Ryou hesitated, he let out a belabored sigh. "Spit it out, Bakura Ryou. I don't have all day."

Ryou shifted between his legs. His heart thrummed staccato in his ribcage. It wasn’t often that anyone called him by his first name—his friends had always addressed him by Bakura, after all—and Bakura’s soft, husky voice imbued it with a weight that Ryou had never felt before. "Um," he breathed out, realizing the older boy was still waiting for an answer. "Well, they're going out, and I've been gone for a while, so.”

"Ah, I see,” Bakura echoed. His dull, reddish eyes brimmed with disdain, but there was a thoughtfulness to their languid sweep over his body that put Ryou on edge. “Not very well said, but I get the gist."

Face flushing with renewed heat, Ryou cleared his throat. "So that's why," he concluded, lamely. Embarrassed, he looked away from Bakura's face to examine his sock-clad feet instead. "It would be awkward to interrupt."

"And god forbid the brat and his boytoy stop for anything," Bakura said, and rose to stand. "Whatever. Do what you want—it's none of my concern, unless you make a fuss about it."

Then, turned away and stretched his arms out over his head. Lean muscles rippled under the fabric of his shirt. Ryou swallowed, and a faint heat curled in his stomach as he watched. From over his shoulder, Bakura glanced at him, and for a brief moment their gazes met. Mouth dry, Ryou shivered. There was something almost predatory about the way he was being regarded, as if he were simply something to be consumed, on the verge of being eaten alive. 

Bakura’s mouth curled into a deeply self-satisfied smirk. "Night, Ryou,” he said. Then, he waved a casual hand in Ryou's direction and set off towards his room without looking back.

"Oh, thank you so much," Ryou managed, still flustered as he bowed his head and tried to ignore the weird, tugging sensation in his belly. "I really appreci—”

Before he could finish his sentence, however, the door slammed shut, leaving Ryou alone in the room. A few seconds later Ryou could hear the faint strains of music, muffled only by the wood. Still dazed from the strange encounter, he stood there unmoving for a few moments. Then, when the song changed, he let out a shaky sigh—Bakura likely wasn’t going to come back outside for a while longer.

Anxiety easing somewhat, Ryou made his way over to the spot on the couch Bakura had just occupied and settled down into the crease. It was comfortable, albeit cold because of the heavy fan that whirred overhead; the dip in the sofa accommodated his body perfectly, and the soft pillow tucked into the armrest looked too inviting to resist. Quietly, Ryou let out a yawn. He was still so tired, and given that Yuugi and Atemu were still alone upstairs, he had plenty of time to rest before everyone else arrived. Without thinking too much about it, he laid his head down, and sleep soon overwhelmed him.

* * *

From inside his room, Bakura grinned to himself.

He'd had the misfortune of bumping into some of Yuugi's friends hanging around the house before, but he'd never seen this one—and fuck, if it took a party to bring him around, then he'd let Yuugi throw all the dinky parties he wanted, all year long.

Unlike Yuugi's other annoyances, this one could be useful to Bakura, if he played his cards right. This boy—this Bakura Ryou, this blushing, stammering friend of his stepbrother's, the most reserved, the most polite—certainly had the potential to be the catalyst that got him out of here. It would be simple, really. A few well-timed appearances would be enough to snag him. It was clear that he was attracted to Bakura—the way his eyes had lingered on him had been obvious. The fact that Ryou was cute endeared him to Bakura, but it didn’t really matter. All that mattered would be the despair on Yuugi’s face when he realized that his precious friend had been snatched up and broken right from under his haughty nose.

The plan he had conceived was perfect: minimal effort, easy results. All it would take would be a few pulled strings, and—from someone as adept as Bakura—that in itself would be easy.

Bakura had settled into his computer chair to contemplate exactly how he would do it, head bobbing faintly along with the music and computer booted and running, when a vague discomfort reminded of why he'd emerged from his room in the first place. He'd originally intended to go for a piss, and his body unfortunately hadn't purged the need as effectively as his mind had done.

With a muttered curse, Bakura switched off his speakers, stood, and flung the door open. He expected to be met with the sight of Ryou staring up at him with those big, luminous eyes, but instead the boy was asleep on the couch, limbs akimbo and head tucked into one of the decorative pillows. The teenager’s skinny chest rose with deep, steady breaths, and his long lashes cast shadows on his cheeks.

Overhead, the fan spun, its blades moving rapidly. It was fucking freezing out here—there was no heater in the main part of the basement, and with the fan on, the temperature was far below what it was outside. Ryou could get a cold, and that would possibly throw a wrench in Bakura's plans for the next week.

Bakura scowled. He couldn’t help but feel that the reasoning behind that thought sounded thin, but it didn’t matter. Why did he need to justify giving the kid a fucking blanket? Frown deep-set and heavy, he marched back into his room to find the blanket of suitable size. Grabbing the one that laid over his comforter, he went back out to drape it over Ryou's body as best he could without rousing the boy from his slumber.

He cast one more look at the sleeping boy. Ryou’s diaphanous lids twitched, slightly, but otherwise he didn’t stir.

Huffing out a pleased grunt, Bakura let him be. He crossed the basement to use the bathroom, and—when he was finished—retreated back to his bedroom without looking again.

* * *

When Ryou woke, it was to the faint sounds of Castle Conquerors and loud, excited shouts wafting down from upstairs. The music had stopped; the basement was silent save for the soft hum of the fan above. He felt so much better; taking a nap had sapped some of the heavy ache from his limbs. With a sigh of pleasure, he sat up. A blanket slipped from where it was wrapped around his chest to pool at his hips.

Then, he frowned. Though Ryou’s mind was still fuzzy with sleep, he knew that there hadn’t been a blanket when he’d drifted off. Rather, it had been uncomfortably cold—the fan, which was still turning, had bothered him.

A wobbly, tentative smile began to spread across his face. If Yuugi wasn't supposed to be down in the basement, and the rest of his friends were upstairs, the logic followed that there was only one person who could have draped the blanket over him. Eyes drifting unconsciously to Bakura's room, the heat from earlier persisted.

From what Yuugi had said about his stepbrother, Bakura was callous and rude, interested only in himself and his own interests—a bad person, by all of their estimation. But surely someone who gave a blanket to someone they didn’t know just because it was cold couldn't be all that bad, right?

His chest tight with happiness, Ryou gathered up the blanket in his arms and folded it carefully. When he was satisfied, he placed it under the pillow, smoothing it out so it looked as neat as he could manage.

Looking at the organized display, Ryou bit his lip. He wanted nothing more than to knock on Bakura’s door and thank him, but—from what the older man had said earlier—such a gesture would surely be unwelcome. He doubted Bakura would fault him for a lack of manners; he hardly seemed to care for them himself.

Ryou let out a disappointed huff of breath and got to his feet, heading up the stairs. When he reached the top, he looked down fondly before going into the living room to join the rest of his friends. As expected, they were all gathered there; Jounouchi and Otogi were in the midst of duking it out on the TV, while the others milled about, watching and chatting. Outside, the sun had abated slightly, casting the yard in orange.

Quietly, Ryou settled down at the end of the couch in the space between Atemu and Anzu, and let his eyes drift to the dynamic figures on the screen. Neither of them acknowledged his arrival, but that was alright—he wasn’t worried about them, or about any of the people playing. Ryou’s mind was elsewhere.

From Atemu’s other side, Yuugi looked over at him. "You were down there for, like, an hour," he whispered, brows furrowed in concern. "Everything okay?"

Immediately, Ryou realized that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell Yuugi about meeting Bakura. It would only bring up questions he didn't feel like answering, and—even worse—make his friend upset during his evening of fun. And so, with a guilty feeling simmering in his stomach, he lied, "Everything's fine, Yuugi-kun."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone enjoys part 1! Part 2 should be coming soon, as well as the second chapter of Communion.


End file.
